


restless stars

by neesaan



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Early in Canon, Fluff, Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-05
Updated: 2018-01-05
Packaged: 2019-02-28 16:07:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 997
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13275045
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/neesaan/pseuds/neesaan
Summary: There’d been a novel, some of Prompto’s nonsensical chattering and the smell coffee permeating the air. Gladio is dreaming and then quite suddenly he is not.





	restless stars

**Author's Note:**

> dips my toes, hello ffxv pals

Despite being sound asleep, Gladio notices Noct’s absence immediately. He knows the instinct to keep watch of Noctis possesses him even while slumbering, but he’d been sleeping hard, dreaming of the road, feeling Noctis warm beside him and the wind slipping through his hair. There’d been a novel, some of Prompto’s nonsensical chattering and the smell coffee permeating the air. Gladio is dreaming and then quite suddenly he is not.

Quickly blinking to awareness, Gladio feels Prompto to his left, sleeping restlessly with arms outstretched towards the far side of the tent, reaching for Noctis weakly before settling on the prince’s pillow and clutching it to his chest. If Gladio knew how to work Prompto’s camera, he’d take a picture and show it to the aspiring photographer in the morning - as it was, the camera is a contraption a bit beyond Gladio’s technical abilities and the dark lighting of the tent would capture nothing. Savoring one last glance at Prompto’s cuddly form, Gladio smirks and gets up quietly, moving to unzip the entrance to the tent when a hand brushes against his bicep, whispering quietly into his ear.

‘He’s simply getting some air, Gladio. Nothing to worry about.’

‘Of course it’s something to worry about. His highness needs his eleven hours of sleep a night or else he won’t survive the day.’

Ignis chuckles softly, patting Gladio gently on the arm and sinking back into his sleeping bag with a graceful thud. He squints without his glasses in the dark, but Gladio sees endearment in his expression, Ignis’s sleepy smile not without humor. ‘I don’t suspect you do very well without sleep either. See that you both come back to bed quickly.’

‘Mmm,’ he murmurs quietly, shivering while stepping into the cold night. Embers still glow from that night’s campfire, lighting their campsite just enough for Gladio to see Noctis a few feet over, sitting atop a large boulder and gazing into the sky. The moon hangs full and high, scattered constellations holding it in place against the black of the sky. It’s nearly too bright for Gladio, who shuffles over to Noctis and greets him with a hand to the crown of his head, ruffling his hair like feathers of a chocobo.

‘It’s a little early for you, sleeping beauty.’

Noctis rolls his eyes in response, batting away Gladio’s arm dramatically. ‘It’s more late than it is early,’ he argues, pushing his bangs out of his face and scooting over enough for Gladio to join him. He does, shaking the boulder as he climbs, laughing when Noctis grabs him for support. It wasn’t a steep fall from the rock, but a Noctis who isn’t sleeping isn’t an alert Noctis - it was likely he’d forget to warp or lose his balance - Prince Charmless indeed.

‘Why aren’t you sleeping, Noct?’

Noctis considers the question, absentmindedly picking at his nails, glassy eyes still staring up at the stars. His quiet reply is to nudge closer to Gladio, bumping the shield’s arm and easily slipping into Gladio’s space. The prince closes his eyes sleepily, his form as comfortable to Gladio as a book in his hand or the feel of the earth beneath his feet. A breeze picks up and Noctis’s hair tickles Gladio’s chin, reminding him of softer days in Insomnia: small, rare moments in between the prince’s lessons and heady schedule, brief lapses in training and physical exhaustion. Days when it was just the four of them before the fall - Prompto and Noctis looking young in their school uniforms with books piled over a table that Iggy was trying to prepare a meal on. _Must you do this here,_ Ignis would gripe, always polite even when scolding. Still unsure of his place among them, Prompto would jump at Gladio’s growl as Noctis would pout, hastily putting their school work away. _S-sorry, Ignis!_

Chortling fondly, Gladio cards his fingers through Noctis’s hair, a soft smile fitting around his lips. His prince looks up curiously, scratching at Gladio’s unshaven face. ‘Why are you awake?’ he asks tiredly, burrowing deeper into Gladio’s embrace.

‘Because you are,’ he grunts, meeting Noctis’s warm eyes. ‘What’s on your mind?’

Noctis wavers for a moment, his glossy gaze widening with worry.

‘Do you think we can ever go back?’

‘Probably not.’

A sigh slips from Noctis’s chest, something small and fragile, something older than he is now. Gladio wishes he could do more - he was strong enough to protect his prince, quick enough to dodge any blow, skilled enough to block any attack - but he couldn’t save Noctis from his own thoughts, couldn’t prevent his trepidation for what was to come from eating Noctis from the inside out. Perhaps that was what Prompto was for. If Gladio was to protect him and Ignis was to nurture him than Prompto would happily pick up everything in between: assuage their friend from his guilt, from fears that embedded a terror in his heart far worse than the nastiest deamon.

Sadness threatened Gladio’s composure for the briefest of moments - Noctis, small and lithe in his arms, pouting lips and all - if Gladio couldn’t be the one to save him from it all then what was the point? Even amongst three retainers, Noctis is still burdened by so much, there isn’t enough that Gladio could possibly do -

‘Gladio,’ Noctis whispers suddenly, interrupting Gladio’s dangerous train of thought. ‘Thanks for coming out here. I thought I wanted to be alone but - well, I guess I was wrong.’

‘It’s nothing.’

‘It’s not nothing. It’s a lot.’

Breathing in deeply, Gladio risks a small crack in his composure and squeezes Noctis tightly, pressing a small kiss to his crown.

‘Maybe we can’t go back home, but you have us, kid. I’d like to think that we’re a little piece of home that you took with you.’

‘Yeah,’ Noctis agrees, smiling and blushing at Gladio’s lapse in character. Adventitious as it was, Noctis seemed lighter, his expression lethargic once again. ‘Yeah, I did.’

 

**Author's Note:**

> i'm @ohneesaan on twitter ♥


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